Abstract: Objective Dectect the Effect of sodium butyrate(SB) on the phenotypes in human hepatocarcinoma cell line(GHC-3). Methods The cells were treated by 0 2mmo/L sodium butyrate for thirty days and then transferred back to the standard medium for fifteen days. Results After GHC-3 cells were treated by SB thirty days,Morphology changes from polygonal to spindle-shaped,proliferation was inhibited significantly,colony-forming rate decreased,ConA agglutinability disappeared,the major range of chromosome turned from 52～59 to 44～45,the pencentages of diploid and hypodiploid increased;the 3 H-TdR incorporation and DNA concentration decreased markedly.These induced phenotypes did not change after transferred back to the standard medium for fifteen days. Conclusion The malignant phnetypes of the human hepatocarcinoma cell line,GHC-3,can be reversed partly and these reversed phenotypes can keep relativityly stability.